Jake McCrae steps down as Bartow football head coach

Thursday

BARTOW — Jake McCrae has stepped down as Bartow High School's head football coach after two seasons.

McCrae, who took the position in February 2015, said he was feeling a bit overwhelmed and had some personal issues he also needed to address. He informed the school and his team Thursday morning.

“We talked about it in length,” Bartow Athletic Director Ray Tiller said. “He shared his desires, and he loves Bartow.”

McCrae, 42, will retain his position as a weightlifting coach and credit-counseling instructor. He said he reached the decision recently but held off announcing it because Bartow assistant coach Michael Quinn died March 1 and he didn't want to step away from the position until after the funeral.

“I told the coaches last night and the principal today,” McCrae said. “There is no animosity from either end. There is a little too much on my plate in terms of being fundraiser, head recruiter, head strength coordinator, and I have some unresolved personal issues that have been on the back burner.”

This winter, McCrae helped with the recruiting and signing of running back Tim Jordan to Tennessee, outside linebackers L.J. Cummings to Central Florida and Chris Jones to Florida Tech. He led the Yellow Jackets to a 9-10 record during the past two seasons.

Tiller said the he will begin the search for a new head coach immediately and the position will be advertised on the FHSAA and other websites, including the Polk County School System.

“I am looking to have someone in place by the first or second week of April,” Tiller said.

The Yellow Jackets are scheduled to play Lakeland Christian in a spring game, though no date has been set.

McCrae was also the head coach at Jacksonville Bishop Snyder for four seasons, where he posted a 24-17 record, an assistant head coach at Bartow from 2003 to 2009 and the Fort Meade offensive coordinator from 1997 to 2002.

In college, McCrae was a lineman for the University of New Haven in West Haven, Conn.

The Bartow position becomes the second football head-coaching position to open up this month. On March 8, Victory Christian announced it would not renew the contract of Tommy Lewis, who was with the program for four years and led the Storm to the 2014 Class 2A state title.

— Bill Kemp can be reached at Bill.Kemp@newschief.com; follow him on Twitter @BillKempSports.

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